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• hare
  hare

  noun

  any rodentlike mammal of the genus Lepus, of the family Leporidae, having long ears, a divided upper lip, and long hind limbs adapted for leaping.
• Hare
  Hare

  noun

  Sir David. born 1947, British dramatist and theatre director: his plays include Plenty (1978), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, 1985), The Secret Rapture (1989), Racing Demon (1990), The Permanent Way (2003), and Stuff Happens (2004)

hare

American  

[hair] / hɛər /

noun

• hares,
  plural
• hare
  plural

1. any rodentlike mammal of the genus Lepus, of the family Leporidae, having long ears, a divided upper lip, and long hind limbs adapted for leaping.

2. any of the larger species of this genus, as distinguished from certain of the smaller ones known as rabbits.

3. any of various similar animals of the same family.

4. Astronomy. Hare, the constellation Lepus.

5. the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.

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verb (used without object)

• hares,
  present (3rd person singular)
• hared,
  past participle,  past
• haring
  present participle

1. Chiefly British. to go, run, or proceed swiftly, suddenly, or impulsively; rush; speed; take off: The young forward instantly spotted the opportunity and hared in to put the ball into the net.

   What if someone came haring around the corner on a moped?

   The young forward instantly spotted the opportunity and hared in to put the ball into the net.

idioms

1. hare off, to change course or shift one’s attention suddenly or impulsively; veer off (often followed byafter ).

   Adhering to a challenging summer book list will keep me from haring off after every new beach read that catches my eye.

hare ¹ British  

/ hɛə /

noun

1. any solitary leporid mammal of the genus Lepus, such as L. europaeus ( European hare ). Hares are larger than rabbits, having longer ears and legs, and live in shallow nests (forms)

2. informal to defeat someone completely

3. to be on good terms with both sides

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verb

1. informal (intr; often foll by off, after, etc) to go or run fast or wildly

Hare ² British  

/ hɛə /

noun

1. Sir David. born 1947, British dramatist and theatre director: his plays include Plenty (1978), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, 1985), The Secret Rapture (1989), Racing Demon (1990), The Permanent Way (2003), and Stuff Happens (2004)

2. William. 19th century, Irish murderer and bodysnatcher: associate of William Burke

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Hare ³ British  

/ hɛə /

noun

1. a member of a Dene Native Canadian people of northern Canada

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hare More Idioms  

1. see mad as a hatter (March hare); run with (the hare).

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Usage

What’s the difference between hares and rabbits? Hares and rabbits are both rodentlike mammals in the Leporidae family, but they’re two different species. They look similar, with long ears and large hind legs that make them great jumpers and fast runners. One main difference is that hares are bigger than rabbits. They also appear much differently at birth. Hares are born furry, open-eyed, and ready to run. Rabbits, however, are born without fur and are unable to see at first. To protect their helpless kits or kittens (you can call them bunnies but that’s not a technical term), rabbits dig underground burrows. Hares, on the other hand, build shallow nests in the grass. So, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be a hare. If it has a burrow underground, it’s a rabbit. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hares and rabbits.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• harelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hare
  plural
• hares
  plural

Participles

• haring
  present
• hared
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hare
  simple
• hares
  simple
• have hared
  perfect
• has hared
  perfect
• am haring
  progressive
• are haring
  progressive
• is haring
  progressive
• have been haring
  perfect progressive
• has been haring
  perfect progressive

Past

• hared
  simple
• had hared
  perfect
• was haring
  progressive
• were haring
  progressive
• had been haring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hare
  simple
• will have hared
  perfect
• will be haring
  progressive
• will have been haring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hare

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”

Explanation

Hares are animals that are closely related to rabbits but larger, with longer ears and hind legs. Remember the overconfident animal that lost a race against a tortoise in Aesop's famous fable? That was a hare! Hares and rabbits look very similar, but they're completely different species. Rabbits burrow, while hares stay above ground and give birth in nests in the grass. Unlike rabbits, hares are furry when they're born and able to see and move around independently. Their diets are even different — rabbits like grasses and vegetables, while hares dine on twigs and bark. And while you can keep a rabbit as a pet, hares haven't been domesticated.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hare Hare hares hared haring

The buxom stall-owner lifts a furry, giant hare, its dead eyes glazed, as a primly dressed female customer offers coins in payment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

South Wales Police confirmed the Vale of Glamorgan was seeing an increase in hare coursing, and said the force was taking action.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The BBC contacted members of the Country Land and Business Association, which represents 30,000 rural landowners and businesses in England and Wales, to ask about their experiences with hare coursing.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Forbes calls that “the tortoise and hare approach.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

“I’ve set myself up in a room down that tunnel,” the hare said, pointing, “but there are five other rooms to choose from down each of those tunnels.”

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

When Leo Hare moved to Russia from Texas in late 2023, after being granted asylum, he was convinced he was building a better future for his family.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

David Hare, who directed Hurt in “The Secret Rapture,” described her as “a fine ensemble actress” to the New York Times in 1989.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026

And David Hare, chief executive officer of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, said private GP appointments were also on the rise.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026

Paul Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba and Venezuela, argued that Cuban intelligence underestimated US access to "insider cooperation in Venezuela" -- an informant within Maduro's camp.

From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026

Basil Stag Hare had formed three lines of bowmice on top of the wall.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Malthusian models and predator-prey equations, for example, have been used to examine the spread of Australian rabbits and the shifting populations of Canadian lynxes and snowshoe hares.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

As Apple plays the tortoise role—slow and steady wins the race—the sprint between the two hares is what’s captivating investors.

From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025

Musk oxen and snowshoe hares inhabit the base perimeter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025

The act banned the use of dogs to hunt wild mammals - including foxes, hares, deer and mink - across England and Wales.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2024

I saw deer and hares, and once, at twilight, I swear I saw a phoenix rise, trailing smoke.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

But, once again, the game squirmed free of their grasp as Len Ikitau got away from Ollie Sleightholme and Australia's replacement wing Max Jorgensen gleefully hared into the corner.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2024

He picked himself up and hared off in pursuit of Carapaz, bashing on his displaced left-brake lever as he descended, trying to hammer it back straight on his handlebars.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2020

“I’ve seen pictures but it is hared to believe. When you are above it in a plane and see the total devastation, see no houses left, not even the pads.”

From Washington Times ● Oct. 15, 2018

Next day I turned tail and hared back south, popping over the bridge to Anacortes on Fidalgo Island.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 5, 2016

Nose down and engine full out, we hared over the trenches.

From Cavalry of the Clouds by Alan Bott

There was barely a time in this Test when Siraj was not bowling, haring in with the pavilion behind him.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2025

Those jurors will be taken to Carroll County from that county for the trial, which is scheduled for March but unlikely to occur before the fall, Gull said at the haring.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2023

In the previous round, the Reds won 2-0 away at Internazionale, only for the Italian champions to come haring back at them at Anfield.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 13, 2022

A final defender comes haring across, all pumping thighs and straining arms.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2022

Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there....

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling